Stretching yourself too thin?

Being students and all that jazz, we deal with a lot of stress with classes, deadlines, papers, exams and so much more that I would rather not list. Where’s the relief other than no classes at all or a little get away without spending much money, let alone time? Maybe try stretching, breathing and meditating a bit!
Yoga has been around since approximately 3000 BC and was originally founded in India. Its main purpose was to bring enlightenment to the individual who practiced as well as relaxation and physical stability. If you’re a beginner, there are multiple sources you can access in order to learn how to chill out just a bit. YouTube has many yoga videos you can learn from, DVDs you can buy online as well as the stores themselves, and there are also tons of books to choose from. Personally, I enjoy taking yoga classes because it’s easier to understand the body’s movement and you can learn so much from others around you. Although practicing yoga by yourself can be a little less intimidating and more self-focused, you have to start somewhere!
Now some of you might ask “Why on earth would I try Yoga?” and my response would be, “Why not?” It is very beneficial physically, psychologically and biochemically. And you don’t need to take a whole ton of time out of your busy class filled day! Even meditating is a part of yoga, as well as rhythmic breathing which you can do while studying or just sitting there twiddling your thumbs before class. Yoga isn’t just for women. Men can and do practice it as well. It’s limitless! Well, it may not be for babies, but you never know right?
Yoga can be great for you if you have trouble sleeping or focusing for those exams or projects. The stretching of the muscles and fresh focus can help you feel more loose, relaxed and revitalized and ready to take on those pesky assignments given to you on a daily and overwhelming basis.

Stress can take a huge toll on our minds and emotions, and can really affect our outlook on life and situations. Yoga can help you focus on the tasks at hand. Believe it or not, it can help decrease those anxieties you burden yourself with, as well as decrease depression. Meditating or focusing on certain things can help you sort them out easier and can help calm you down and lower that blood pressure. Rhythmic breathing can also help calm your heart rate down, helping you focus and sharpen that memory of yours.

Those chemicals in your body that make you feel sluggish or tense can be decreased by practicing. Even 30 minutes out of your day once a week can help decrease that glucose, increase hemoglobin, decrease sodium and much more to your benefit. There are many health benefits we don’t even realize because we can’t see them going through our bodies.

Any time I’m stressing out or too anxious to sleep I try to meditate for at least 10 minutes or throw in a DVD or put my yoga mat in just the right place and just breathe. It’s amazingly helpful when exams roll around the corner or there are a bunch of deadlines you need to match up to in one week. I highly encourage you to try yoga at least once in your college lives or even meditate or rhythmically breathe when you have time. You might just find a new outlet for stresses and anxieties. Good luck in your classes ladies and gentlemen!

Suzy is a junior majoring in journalism.